Corelian Empire
The Corelian Empire is a powerful magocratic elven nation in Daeraan, and one of the most influential political powers in the Broken Realm, formed in the wake of the fall of Caldeon by the Elendrim, a faction of high elves who seek to usher into an era of elven rule of the land across the region of Caldendrin. In an event that also marked the beginning of the Era of Scars, Corelias was established after the Elendrim overthrew the druidic Sylvanides who had stewarded elven society for centuries. Disdaining the worship of nature for the cruelty it showed the elves through the Plague of Miserion, the high elves instead turned to harnessing magic and creating a world that bent to their command. Geography Serennas The central forest of Aratandor is also the center of the Corelian Empire, and one of the most magic-suffused places in Daeraan. Serennas is akin to a shadow of the Feywild, bled into the Material Plane: trees are shaped into the ideal conformations for the high elves' use, interspersed with crystalline structures forged by magic according to the desires of the Seldar Council. Notable locations here include: * [[Corlindalë|'Corlindalë']]:''' the crystal capital of the empire. Ephendor The southernmost forest of Aratandor is a strange crossroads between the high elves of Corelias, the wood elves that have fled the empire, and the humans of Laridiel who exploit it for its lumber. * '''Dorngladden: the largest town in Ephendor, a major outpost of the Sentinels and trade center between the Corelian Empire and New Elitas. * Harfàn: an enclave of wood elves, hidden in the southern forests. Laridiel Due to the Treaty of Elendror, the human nation of Laridiel exists as a sort of protectorate of the Corelian Empire. While Laridians enjoy the freedom to worship their own gods and generally engage in their own trade, the empire controls certain aspects of society such as military deployment and the study of the arcane. * The Tower of Glass: The headquarters of the Conclave of Letora, the high-elven governing body of Laridiel's Arcane University in New Elitas. Galmeral Vale The empire's northernmost reach lies within the Empty Lands, in a forest that has been grown to be free of the blight that affects so much else in the region. It is a hotly contested border between the city-state of Vanderhold of the kingdom of Tharsus, and the Corelian Empire itself. History Before the Era of Scars The Elendrim arose in the later centuries of the Reign of Sylvanstone, when the kingdom of Caldeon was ruled by the elves of Aratandor and the dwarves of Ultùrin after a short, yet destructive, civil war among the Old Houses of humans at the end of the preceding Toromar dynasty. When the Encelas dynasty of humans arose to rule Caldeon in 720 Cal after the worst Dragon Rage in recorded history, the Elendrim, mostly composed of plains elves, were most vocally opposed, as humanity's aggressive, warlike nature had been the reason for the establishment of the Sylvanstone Council in the first place. Despite their misgivings, the Reign of Encelas lasted for well over 300, mostly peaceful, years. During this time, the elven lands of Aratandor were ruled by the Sylvanides, druids who sought to cultivate the elvish connections to nature and the fey, and for elves to exist in balance with the world around them. Much as Corellon was revered as the chief of the elven pantheon, the god of nature Rillifane Rallathil was perhaps even more central to the elves' society. The Elendrim, on the other hand, were considered radical: they too worshiped Corellon, but disavowed the teachings of Rillifane, embracing Corellon's affinity for magic and espousing elven supremacy. When the Plague of Miserion erupted throughout Caldeon, elven society was thrown into chaos, with large swathes of the population affected by the virulent disease. The Elendrim capitalized on the tumult, using their magical prowess against the plague and limiting the damage it did to the elves and their lands. Denouncing the Sylvanides for worshipping a nature bent upon destroying them, the Elendrim overthrew the ancient druidic order and established the nation of Corelias.